Pillow or cushion



1932- E. J. BARCALO. I 9 58 PILLOW on CUSHION Filed March 14, 1932 Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' nnwnzn macaw,- or BUIILLO, m Yoax rrrinow on oosnron Application filed Batch 14, 1932. Serial No. 598,569.

' invalids, which is of novel form and construction adapted, by using it in different ositions, to provide a comfortable support or the head, back or other portion of the user in different, desired recumbent or more or less sitting positions; also to provide a. pillow of the sort mentioned having means which prevent objectionable deformation of the pillow in use and by which'the illow can be made firmer or softer, as may e desired, to better adapt it fordifierent uses;

also to provide a p1 ow having the other advantages and features of improvement hereinafter described and set forth in-the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pillow or cushion embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View thereof showing the adjustable stay for the pillow.

Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive. are diagrammatic views showing different ositions in which the illow is adapted to e used.

T e pillow or cushion referably 'comprises a case or sack 10 of exible woven or other suitable fabric enclosing or containing a yielding or elastic filling or stufiing 11, which may be made of hair, cotton or. other suitable soft and more or less pliable or resilient material adapted to form acomfortable cushioned support for the head shoulders or other portion of the body of a person.

The. illow is made of triangular or substantia y triangular shape in longitudinal cross section, having opposite substantially I triangular ends 12 and three connected sides 13, 14 and 15 extending between and connecting the corresponding edges of the triangular ends. Preferabl the triangular ends of the case are of su stantially the shape shown, each having three different or 1111 sired results.

equal angles, of which the angle 16 is a slight 1y obtuse angle, and the other two angles 17 and 18 are acute angles of different degrees. It is believed that t e best practical results are obtained by making the pillow with substantlally the angles 1ndicated in the diagrammaticFigures 3-8, and with the sides 13, 14 and 15 approximately 11, 14 and 18 inches in width respectively. A stay or tie device, -Wl11Ch preferably connects the central or in- 'termed1ate POItlOIlS of the opposite triangular end walls of the case limits the extent to which said ends can spread or bulge outwardly under the pressure of the filling, due

to we1 ht on the sides 13, 14 or 15 of the pillow. his stay device may consist, as shown,

of a tape or cord 19 extending through the filling ofthe pillow and attached to buttons 20 or other suitable tuft devices externall engaging the two triangular ends of the i low, the tape or cord 19 being attached to the shank or eye of oneor both of the but,- tons by tying or otherwise so as to ada t the i tape or cordto'be shortened or len 't e'ned between the buttons more'or less, and thereby more or lesscompress the filling of the illow'and resist outwards reading or bulg- 1 mg of the ends under weight or pressure on the pillow. This stay prevents undue deformation of the pillow in use, and the pillow can be made firmer or. softer by appropriately tightening or. loosening the'stay.

By reason of the described shape of the pillow, it is adapted to be used'in any of the six different positions shown in Figs. 3-8, said several positions affording difierent de- Fig. 3 shows the pilow resting on the side 14 with its widest side 15 facing forwardly and slopingat a low or gradual incline; Fig. 4 shows the pillowresting on its side 15 with the narrowest side 13 facing forwardlysand at a steeper slope than the forward side in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 shows the pillow placed with the side 14 of ;.the intermediatewidth facing forwardly and in substantially u right position. These three positionscan obtained by simply turning t e pillow in the same direction from one to the other of the'pomo sitions mentioned.

narrowest side 13 can be placed forwardly and extending substantially upright, as shown res ectively in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

igs. 3 and 7 show the forward supporting side of the pillow extending at the same'angle,

but in Fig. .3 the upper corner of the pillow I can be close to or rest-against the head of-the bed or couch, whereas in Fi 7 the upper corner will be spaced forward away from the head of the bed or couch. imilarly, Figs. 4 and 6 show theforward side of the pillow extending at the same angle but the Fig. 4 position provides a short steep supporting surface disposed forwardly away from the head ofthe be or couch, while in Fig. 6 the forward supporting surface extends higher and close to or against the head of the bed or couch. Likewise, Figs. 5 and 8 show respectively high and low substantially upright, forward supportin faces of corresponding angularity.

us, in the posltion shown in Fig. 3, the pillow is ada ted to support the back, shoulders'and hea of the user in a recllning posi-' tion, with the head against the head board or other su port. While in the position of Fig. 7 the bac or shoulders are adapted to be supported in the same osition, with the headfree above the corner of the pillow in front of the head of the bed or couch.

In the position shown in Fig. 6, the back, head and shoulders are adapted to rest against the pillow in a more nearly upright position, while in the position shown in Fig. 4, the same angle of support is provided, but leaves the head and shoulders free above the pillow out of contact with the head of the bed or couch. In

the positions shown in Figs. 5 and 8 the pillow provides respectively a high or low, substantially upri ht back support spaced forwardly away rom the head of the bed or couch. These different possible positions of the pillow adapt it to meet the changing.

needs of readers, invalids or convalescents and afford them the maximum comfort by providing a cushioned support to suit various different ostures of the body. Thus, the

illow furnis es supporting surfaces of diferent slope, extent and EOSltiOIl, without the recognized. objections in able, rigid back supports heretofore used. The pillow being soft, pliable and resilient, or elastic conforms somewhat to the irregularities in ones bod and provides maximum comfort for the b0 y invall of the six positions of the pillow. Thls is an important advantage over cushions filled with compressed, firm and relatively ri 'd materials such as mattresses, in chair cus ions, and in the wedge shaped erent in the adjusts cushions commonly used by automobile driv-- ers to fill the space'between their backs and the upright seat wall. Because of the obtuse dihedral triangle in the-pillow, it follows that whena person leans laterally against the upstanding face forming one side or leg of the obtuse dihedral angle, while the pillow is resting upon the face forming the other leg of the obtuse dihedral angle, the pillow will yieldsomewhat at its upper part, yet the upstanding face will still form approximately a right dihedral angle with that face of the pillow which is horizontal and lowermost.

By tightening or loosening the stay con-' necting the. end walls of the pillow, the pillow can be made firmer or softer, to best suit the comfort of the user.

. I claim as my invention:

1. A pillow comprising a soft resilient'fillin and a flexible enclosing case therefor of su stantially triangular shape in cross section having opposite end walls each of subsubstantially triangular shape in cross section having opposite end walls each of substantially triangular shape with unequal angles and sides, and three substantially rectangular side walls of unequal widths connecting said end walls and an adjustable stay connecting and having rectangular side faces connecting s, the two shorter edges the triangular en of each triangular end being nearly but not equal in length and at least approximately one foot in length, and including between them an angle of about a right angle, where- .by each of the three side faces will provide a supporting face of substantial proportions and width, and the pillow will provide a suportin surface at any of a plurality of diferent mclinations to the horizontal, depending upon which of its side faces the pillow is resting upon.

3. A pillow comprising a case formed of freely flexible sheet material, and filled with relatively soft, pliable, elastic material, said pillow as filled being relatively soft, pliable and elastic, substantially triangular in transverse cross section, of substantially pillow length, and having rectangular side faces connecting the triangular ends, the two shorter edges of each triangular end being nearly but not equal in length and at least approximately one foot in length, and including between,

them an obtuse angle of slightly more than 90 degrees, whereby each of the three side faces will provide a supporting face of sub- .a supporting surface at any of a plurality of able in length stantial proportions and width, and the pillow will provide a supporting surface at any of a plurality of different inclinations to the horizontal depending upon which of its side faces the pillow is resting u on, the obtuse dihedral angle of the pillow msuring an approximately right dihedral angle after the pillow yields by forces acting thereon in a direction tending to close the obtuse dihedral angle.

4. A pillow freely flexible sheet material, and filled with relatively soft, pliable elastic material, said pillow as filledbeingrelativelysoft,pliable and elastic, substantially triangular in transverse cross section, of substantially pillow length, and having rectangular side faces connecting the triangular ends, of each triangular end being nearly but not equal in length and at least approximately one foot in length, and including between them an angle of about a right angle whereby each of'thethree side faces will provide a supporting face of substantial pro ortiolis and width, and the porting surface at ferent inclinations to the horizontal, depending'upon which of its side faces the pillow is resting upon, and a tie connecting the interior areas of opposite end faces of the pil low to limit bulging of said end faces, when pressure is applied to the side faces of the pillow. I

5. A pillow comprising a case formed of freel relatlvely soft, liable, elastic material, sa1d pillow as filled being relatively soft, pliable and elastic, substantially triangular in trans? verse cross section, of substantially pillow length, and having rectangular side faces connecting the triangularends, the two shorter edges of each triangular end being nearly but not equal in length and at least approximately one foot in length andincluding between them an angle of about a right angle, whereby each of the three side faces will provide a supporting face of substantial proportions and width, and the pillow will provide ifierent inclinations to the horizontal, depending u on which ;of its side faces the pillow is resting upon, and a tie connecting the interior areas of opposite end faces of the pillow to limit bulging of said end faces, when ressure is applied to the side faces of the pi ow,

ends andthrough I EDWARD J. BARCALO.

comprising a case formed. of 1 the two shorter edges pillow will provi e a supany of a plurality of difflexible sheet material, and filled with said tie being selectively adjust- I t allow limited bulging of the it a change in the dihedral angles between the side faces of the pillow.

f CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

- Patent Not 1,'s90.3ss.

EDWARD J. BARCALO.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the ahove numbered patent 'requit'ing correetion as follows: Page 2,v lines 88, 89'

December 6; 1932.

. andSO; claim 1. strike out the words "in'eross section having opposite "endwaiis each 9iubstantiaiiy triangular shape"; and that the said Letters Patent shouid be read with this eorreetion therein that. the same may conform to the I record of the case in the Patent Offieex v Signed and sealed this-14th day of February A; 1).1933.

J. Moore,

(Sealh I Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

